Senate to take up new VA bill after scandal

Jun. 1, 2014 - 03:29PM
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WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs committee has released details of a refashioned bill to address the problems plaguing the federally run veterans' health care system.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent, posted a draft of his bill Sunday and said it would be introduced this week.

The bill has several new provisions aimed at fixing the long delays for veterans' care. The long-simmering issue erupted into a scandal in April and led to last week's resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.

Sanders' bill would allow veterans to seek care outside the VA if they face long delays, authorize ways to hire and to attract new doctors and nurses to the VA and gives the department authority to fire poor-performing executives.